Interviewer: Is there a particular amount in order for someone to have that misdemeanor in order but it was upgraded to a felony. Is that what’s it’s about, like the amount?

Lisa Pelosi: Yes. It’s the amount and other factors as well, for example recently I have a case where someone was growing 100 marijuana plants in his apartment using the lighting in the apartment. In a case like that, it would be very difficult for me to argue that it was just for his personal use. But I think the facts in each case will bear out whether or not people are involved in selling or just having some marijuana on them for their recreational use.

If a Huge Quantity of Marijuana Is Being Grown, It Is a Possibility that the Federal Government Might Get Involved

Interviewer: You mentioned growing stuff, Does that mean it’s going to be more of a federal crime activator?

Lisa Pelosi: It would have to be like an awful a lot of marijuana being grown for the federal government to get involved. The feds would get involved more if very high amount of marijuana is coming across state lines. Then the feds might get involved in a case like that. Because the amount of money to be made is very high and there’s interstate delivery of the marijuana.

The Handling of Prescription Drug Abuse Cases in the State of New York

Interviewer: How are prescription drug cases handled, are they similar.

Lisa Pelosi:  There’s a very big push in New York and other states, to find out where people are getting the pills they are using because there is greater abuse of these pills. So investigations bureaus along with the narcotic bureau are working together to find out which doctors are writing prospections and trying to bust rings of people who are actually getting people to go to these doctors who are writing prescriptions. They are getting paid to go to the doctors, to get the pills and then the people are being paid to give the pills to the people who are selling them. So the DA’s Office is really interested in these types of cases all over the city, the suburbs and the country.

The Number of People Abusing Prescription Drugs Is Steadily Rising in New York

People upstate, New York people, young kids are becoming addicted to the oxycodone and other types of pills. The district attorneys are really investigating these cases and really want to find out where the flow of the pills are coming from. So they are looking at doctors, they are looking at people who are writing prescriptions to see if in fact, the doctors are, are, are wring them for people who actually need them.

The Typical Demographic for Drug Related Offenders in New York

Interviewer: Does that mean that there’s kind of a verity when it comes to a demographic of individuals who are users?

Lisa Pelosi: Cocaine is still around, it’s just that there are newer drugs that are coming on scene in the form of pills but right now, the big drug that’s hitting is heroin. So, because the prosecutor’s offices are seeing so many people becoming addicted and dying from heroin. Heroin cases are very carefully watched by the prosecutor’s office. They’re very strict with those cases. As the heroin is coming in, they are getting a lot of reports from different police departments, and different hospitals that people are dying from the heroin. They’re very strict with those cases right now, as they should be.